Clinton Takes Aggressive Tack at Debate  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton shifted to a much more assertive tone in a debate Thursday night by going directly after her opponents, issuing a stern warning that Democrats should stop "throwing mud" and adopting tactics "right out of the Republican playbook"

Panel Drops Immunity From Eavesdropping Bill  —  Reflecting the deep divisions within Congress over granting legal immunity to telephone companies for cooperating with the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a new domestic surveillance law …

Gonzales Defense Fund Set Up  —  Supporters of former attorney general Alberto R. Gonzales have created a trust fund to help pay for his legal expenses, which are mounting in the face of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales committed perjury or improperly tampered with a congressional witness.

President Bush Delivers Remarks at Federalist Society's 25th Annual Gala  —  Washington, D.C.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all.  (Applause.)  So much for the dress code.  (Laughter.)  I'm honored to be with you.  Thanks.  I appreciate being with an organization that understands the value …

Played for a Sucker  —  Lately, Barack Obama has been saying that major action is needed to avert what he keeps calling a "crisis" in Social Security — most recently in an interview with The National Journal.  Progressives who fought hard and successfully against the Bush administration's attempt …

Calif. Court Rejects SUV Mileage Rules  —  A federal court in California yesterday rejected the Bush administration's new fuel economy standards for light trucks including SUVs, ruling that the government failed to take into account the effects of carbon emissions and their possible link to global warming.

Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction charges  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could face prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans  —  More American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq, it was claimed yesterday.  —  At least 6,256 US veterans took their lives in 2005, at an average of 17 a day, according to figures broadcast last night.

Immigration out-paces British exodus  —  Britain is experiencing unprecedented levels of immigration with more than half a million foreigners arriving to live here in a single year, new figures show.  —  Last year, 510,000 foreign migrants came to the UK to stay for at least 12 months, according to the Office for National Statistics.

SPITZ VOWS TO PUSH FOR GAY MARRIAGES  —  Gov. Spitzer said at a private fund-raiser that he wants a Democratic-controlled state Senate to legalize gay marriage - a highly divisive and controversial issue - as one of its first priorities in 2009, a witness to the remarks told The Post.

Hollywood stars mum on donations to GOP  —  Republican presidential candidates have been drawing support — and cash — from Hollywood celebrities, but few of the stars in super-liberal Tinseltown want to be publicly linked with the Grand Old Party.  —  One high-profile celebrity …